Hyuga Hinata stared at Yakumo Kurama across from her, thinking hard.
Yakumo's biggest headache was that she could drop someone into a genjutsu with zero warning.
That was one of her Genjutsu Bloodline Limit abilities—Terror Dreamscape.
The graduation exam was being held in Konoha's arena.
The arena, like the training field, offered nowhere to hide from Yakumo's line of sight.
Under normal circumstances, there was only one way to avoid getting caught by Terror Dreamscape: close your eyes and don't meet her gaze.
And where there's a "normal" case, there's a "special" case.
At its core, a battle between genjutsu users comes down to whose Yin Release is stronger.
In other words, if you have Yin Release on par with Yakumo's, you can resist Terror Dreamscape—or break out of it quickly.
Hinata instinctively tightened her grip on the Moonchaser Bow.
She decided to use both methods at once.
Yin Release Chakra Mode!
The instant the fight began, she completed the transformation.
A vast Yin aura enveloped her. Chakra stirred into visible currents, whipping her long hair as it fluttered violently.
Yakumo frowned slightly.
Seeing Hinata with her eyes closed, Yakumo found it hard to make a move for a moment.
But the current Yakumo was nothing like she used to be.
Even if she couldn't use Terror Dreamscape, it wouldn't hurt her combat power.
And once Hinata closed her eyes, it meant she couldn't use the Byakugan.
Because activating the Byakugan creates a line of sight—so whether her eyes were physically open or closed wouldn't matter.
Without the Byakugan, Hinata's fighting ability would drop significantly.
In short, both sides were taking a hit.
Multiple Arrow!
Hinata held the Moonchaser Bow, but didn't draw it or nock an arrow—she formed nine Yin arrows out of thin air.
Once she entered Yin Release Chakra Mode, she no longer needed the bow.
But because her opponent was Yakumo, she still had to keep the bow in hand.
That was because Satori was sealed inside the Moonchaser Bow.
Satori had an ability that could sense a target's emotions.
Now that Hinata had her eyes closed, she needed that ability to pinpoint Yakumo's position.
On top of that, Satori could help her dispel genjutsu.
After all, jinchūriki aren't afraid of genjutsu—
Unless both the jinchūriki and the tailed beast are controlled at the same time.
Without Yin Release Chakra Mode, Yakumo really could have pulled that off.
Genjutsu: True Illusion!
Yakumo hurled out a painting scroll.
A searing heat washed over the arena.
A massive fireball slammed into the nine Yin arrows.
The moment they collided, they locked into a deadlock.
That fireball looked like Fire Release, but in truth it was still Yin Release.
Yin against Yin—until it erupted into a silent, invisible explosion. The fireball and the Yin arrows shattered and scattered in all directions.
Super Beast Imitation Drawing!
After throwing the painting scroll, Yakumo pulled out another scroll.
A gigantic eagle appeared out of nowhere.
It dove from the sky and raked its talons toward Hinata.
Hinata lifted a hand.
Her Yin power mimicked Lightning Release: Chidori Senbon, turning into a storm of senbon that pierced the eagle through.
Super Beast Imitation Drawing!
Yakumo flicked her brush again. Countless venomous snakes poured across the ground toward Hinata like a living tide.
Hinata swept her right hand downward.
Yin energy condensed into a single mass—forming a mountain.
BOOM!
The half-transparent "mountain" slammed down, shredding the snakes and blasting a deep crater into the arena floor.
But not all of them were destroyed. The remaining snakes sprang up like arrows, shooting toward Hinata.
Multiple Arrow!
Unhurried, Hinata summoned twenty-one Yin arrows and skewered every last snake one by one.
Yakumo's gaze sharpened.
She had confirmed something:
In Yin Release Chakra Mode, Hinata's Yin power was basically on the same level as hers.
If they kept trading blows like this, it'd be hard to decide a winner anytime soon.
Yakumo looked at Hinata's closed eyes.
Without the Byakugan, Hinata had lost her 360-degree field of view.
Super Beast Imitation Drawing!
Yakumo didn't hesitate—she poured out a massive amount of Yin power.
In an instant, countless animals materialized around her.
Konoha's arena became cramped and chaotic.
With a thought, Yakumo sent every animal rushing at Hinata from all directions.
Leaf Body Flicker Technique!
The moment Hinata's attention was drawn by the swarm, Yakumo turned into leaves and vanished from her spot.
Multiple Arrow!
Hinata raised her hand.
A rain of Yin arrows formed around her.
They launched in unison, dropping the front ranks of animals instantly.
But the animals behind kept charging.
In the blink of an eye, they were already in her face.
At the critical moment, Hinata mimicked Water Release: Great Exploding Water Shockwave.
Her Yin power surged outward like a tidal flood, drowning the incoming animals.
And right then, Yakumo appeared behind her.
Yakumo tore open a painting scroll—countless arrows erupted into a storm, instantly blanketing Hinata.
"Did it work…?"
Yakumo's eyes narrowed.
But in the next second, the arrowstorm was blasted open by a massive hole.
A rotating vortex of chakra came into Yakumo's view—
It was Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.
Yakumo immediately threw out a second scroll.
The temperature spiked.
Endless flames spread and rolled forward, surging toward Hinata.
Hinata stopped Rotation at once. Yin power surged out and became a wood dragon.
The dragon coiled up, its huge body blocking the flames.
Multiple Arrow!
Hinata took a sharp breath and rapidly formed nine Yin arrows without pause.
Shadow Clone Substitute Technique!
Yakumo vanished instantly.
More precisely, she melted into the shadows.
The nine Yin arrows struck the ground, failing to deal any real damage.
Yakumo let out a breath.
Only then did she remember something:
Hinata's Moonchaser Bow sealed Satori—
And Satori could sense emotions. That was why Yakumo's earlier sneak attack had failed.
Yakumo hadn't thought of it because Hinata hadn't used that emotion-sensing ability in a long time.
The last time was when the Moonchaser Bow first appeared.
With that in mind, Yakumo tried to calm herself, settling into a state of no joy and no sorrow.
Hinata immediately felt Yakumo's position blur.
So Yakumo had figured it out.
Hinata didn't hesitate—she formed hand seals.
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Smoke burst out and vanished. Two shadow clones appeared, one on each side of her.
With the clones acting as her eyes, Hinata immediately located Yakumo.
With a casual wave, she sent the wood dragon flying.
The ground trembled.
Yakumo quickly canceled the Shadow Substitute technique.
Terror Dreamscape!
Yakumo instantly dragged Hinata's two shadow clones into the illusion.
At the same time, she gripped her brush.
Super Beast Imitation Drawing!
A tiger just as massive appeared out of thin air and tangled with Hinata's wood dragon.
Hinata dispelled her shadow clones.
The two clones vanished—along with the genjutsu Yakumo had trapped them in.
"It looks like it comes down to who has more Yin power."
Yakumo stared at Hinata and spoke slowly.
As soon as she finished, she used Super Beast Imitation Drawing again.
A dense swarm of animals leapt from her scrolls and rushed Hinata.
Hinata raised her hand to respond.
She used Yin power to mimic all kinds of ninjutsu, wiping out the animals one after another.
For a while, the two of them were like living gun emplacements, blasting at each other nonstop.
Yakumo kept watching Hinata, gradually firming up her conclusion:
Even if their Yin power was similar, Hinata would collapse first.
Because Hinata's Yin power came from Satori inside the Moonchaser Bow—it wasn't truly her own.
If this dragged on, it would put a severe burden on her body.
In that sense, it was similar to being a jinchūriki.
Yakumo was different.
Her Yin power belonged to her—so the strain wasn't nearly as heavy.
"The situation isn't looking good for Hinata."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had also noticed the problem.
"Normally, that weakness wouldn't matter much," Jiraiya said slowly, "but against an evenly matched opponent, it becomes the deciding factor."
Hiashi Hyuga frowned deeply, trying to think of a solution.
But nothing came to mind.
In truth, Hinata's current strength had already surpassed his.
If he tried to solve it from the perspective of Gentle Fist and the Byakugan, of course he wouldn't find an answer.
"I think Hinata's already done amazingly," Shikaku Nara said with a sigh. "Yakumo's genjutsu bloodline limit is just too strong."
Fugaku Uchiha nodded.
A bloodline that granted Mangekyō-level genjutsu from birth—honestly, it was even more monstrous than the Sharingan.
The only saving grace was that awakening it was extremely difficult, and it lacked an intermediate stage.
That was why the Kurama clan had declined.
Meanwhile, even without awakening the Mangekyō, the Uchiha could still become powerful through the Sharingan.
"If this keeps going, Hinata will lose," Shibi Aburame said after a pause, "unless she has another new jutsu."
Hiashi's heart sank.
He also felt Hinata had no winning line left.
Thinking it through, the Hyūga clan's proudest strengths—Byakugan and Gentle Fist—barely mattered in this battle.
Hiashi let out a quiet sigh.
Compared to the Uchiha, the Hyūga simply lacked a top-tier powerhouse that could rival the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Hinata's breathing grew ragged.
Maintaining Yin Release Chakra Mode for too long was starting to make her body feel wrong—unwell.
Hinata knew she couldn't drag this out much longer.
But aside from the World-Ending Arrow, she had no other technique that could flip the board.
And the World-Ending Arrow was too powerful.
One, she was worried about seriously injuring Yakumo.
Two, she was worried it wouldn't achieve the effect it needed.
If that happened, she wouldn't be able to use the Moonchaser Bow or Yin Release Chakra Mode again.
Hinata subconsciously glanced at Kitazawa.
Was she supposed to give up here?
But she didn't feel like she had pushed herself to her absolute limit yet.
If she quit now, she'd be letting Kitazawa down.
Then Hinata's mind stirred.
In Yin Release Chakra Mode, she could control Satori's Yin power.
So… could she create a weakened version of the World-Ending Arrow?
She only needed to wipe out all the animals Yakumo had summoned in one shot.
If she could do that, she'd have a window to ambush Yakumo directly.
With that decision, Hinata immediately drew the bow and nocked an arrow.
Chakra began to erupt around her body, windlike currents surging into the Moonchaser Bow.
"What is this…?"
Yakumo felt a stab of unease.
She gripped her brush and, without hesitation, drew on all her chakra—creating a tiger that towered into the clouds.
The tiger stood in front of her, completely shielding her.
Kitazawa originally meant to stop Hinata, but he quickly realized this was a perfect chance for her to make a name for herself.
After all, there were tons of spectators at this graduation exam—
Not just ordinary villagers, but many jōnin as well.
Kitazawa had already told Tsunade that after the class assignments were finalized, she should bring up the matter of the "New Konoha Three Sannin."
But if Hinata displayed the World-Ending Arrow, the shock would be even greater.
Besides, Hinata wasn't using the ultimate version of it.
And most importantly, with Kitazawa's strength, he could fully protect the audience.
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Kitazawa slapped his hands together.
Three shadow clones appeared at three positions around the arena.
Four Violet Flames Formation!
Kitazawa and his clones formed seals together.
In the blink of an eye, a purple barrier rose—forming a double layer together with the existing purple barrier.
World-Ending Arrow!
Hinata released the bowstring.
Yin power spread like raging fire, covering the entire arena in an instant.
BOOM!
In the stunned silence of the crowd, the World-Ending Arrow detonated.
Its world-shattering force erased the animals Yakumo had summoned and surged straight into the tiger shielding her.
The tiger's massive body trembled violently—but it wasn't destroyed immediately.
After all, this wasn't the World-Ending Arrow at full power.
Hinata had used only one-third of Satori's Yin power.
Even so, the power was terrifying.
Chaotic chakra currents blasted into the sky, and the entire arena shook.
Even the innermost purple barrier maintained by the sealing team cracked.
Thankfully, Kitazawa's Four Violet Flames Formation stood firm like a mountain.
Under the crushing pressure from every direction, Yakumo's face went pale.
All she could do was pour Yin power into the tiger, protecting herself from being swallowed by the blast.
But outside her field of vision, Hinata used the Body Flicker and vanished.
She activated the Byakugan, immediately locking onto Yakumo.
Hinata appeared on Yakumo's left.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!
Without hesitation, she struck with both palms.
Yakumo was fully focused on sustaining the tiger and couldn't react in time—she was knocked straight to the ground.
Kitazawa flashed in front of them in an instant and pulled them away.
"What kind of secret technique was that…?"
Kiba Inuzuka asked, frozen in disbelief after a long moment.
"World-Ending Arrow," Neji Hyuga said. "It's a secret technique Kitazawa-sensei created by imitating a Tailed Beast Bomb."
"You can use it too?"
Sasuke Uchiha's heart tightened.
"Yeah," Neji nodded.
"That's absurd," Tayuya muttered.
"It consumes a lot," Neji explained. "Normally, you can only use it once."
His gaze landed on Hinata.
Hinata's weakened World-Ending Arrow had clearly solved their lack-of-firepower problem.
From "only once" to "three times"—that was an explosive jump in combat strength.
For most ninja, one-third power and full power made no difference anyway.
Either way, you die.
"So strong!" Uzumaki Naruto exclaimed.
"You're a jinchūriki. You can do it too," Neji said, glancing at him.
Naruto scratched his head.
He really could use a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Kitazawa hadn't taught him—Kushina Uzumaki had.
Sasuke's mouth twitched when Neji reminded him.
Jinchūriki really were ridiculous.
Luckily, he had Ame no Tokotachi, so he wasn't afraid of a Tailed Beast Bomb.
When a Tailed Beast Bomb detonated, he could teleport to the stands.
After all, Ame no Tokotachi could mark five targets—meaning he could blink between them at will.
In a sense, it was kind of cheating.
But then again, a Tailed Beast Bomb was even more of a cheat.
Soon after, the arena returned to silence.
Only the ground—once perfectly flat—was now cratered and broken, not a single patch left intact.
The spectators were stunned into a dead hush.
"Winner: Hyuga Hinata!"
Kitazawa's voice broke the silence.
From the crowd's reaction, he understood something clearly:
His task of forming the New Konoha Three Sannin was about to be completed—within a week at most.
Because once the graduation exam ended, Hinata's fame would explode.
"Who would've thought this was just a graduation exam…" Jiraiya shook his head.
"With a half–tailed-beast-style Yin Chakra Mode, being able to use a Tailed Beast Bomb–like World-Ending Arrow is perfectly reasonable," Tsunade said, smiling.
"Sounds like you already knew," Hiruzen said, surprised. "Even I didn't know."
"Kitazawa told me," Tsunade explained. "We kept it secret because it has strategic value, but there's no need anymore."
Konoha's biggest threat now was the Akatsuki.
Showing the World-Ending Arrow would actually boost everyone's confidence.
Of course, that was the explanation she gave Hiruzen and the others.
The real reason was that she trusted Kitazawa.
"The students advancing to the fourth round are Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyuga, and Hyuga Hinata," Kitazawa announced. "After a fifteen-minute break, we'll begin the fourth round."
After speaking, he immediately directed the Anbu to restore the arena.
But he didn't cancel the Four Violet Flames Formation.
Because the next fights would be even more intense.
Kitazawa returned to the stands.
The stands were still buzzing, far from calming down after the shock.
"Tsunade-sensei," Kitazawa sat beside her and reminded her, "after the class assignments are done, remember to bring up the New Konoha Three Sannin."
"I'm noticing you really care about this," Tsunade paused, then asked, "Are you paving the road for them in advance?"
Kitazawa froze slightly, realizing she had misunderstood.
But it made sense she'd think that way.
To become Hokage, you need immense fame.
If the New Konoha Three Sannin were widely recognized, any one of them would have the potential to become Hokage at any time—just like Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. Whoever became Hokage, no one would object.
And in the original timeline, Jiraiya only stepped aside for Tsunade to become the Fifth Hokage.
If it weren't for Minato Namikaze's sudden rise, Orochimaru would have become the Fourth Hokage long ago.
"I learned it from you," Kitazawa blinked. "Retire early."
"You're not even Hokage yet and you're already thinking about retirement?" Tsunade laughed. "On that point, you really are my student."
"Even if I want to retire early, it won't be easy," Kitazawa said casually. "They're still a long way from adulthood. At minimum, I'll have to be Hokage for six years."
"Six years isn't long," Tsunade said, glancing at Hiruzen. "The old man was Hokage for more than twenty."
"Then why don't you stay Hokage for a few more years?" Kitazawa shot back.
"I'm different," Tsunade smirked. "Besides—aren't you here?"
"Then you'll have to compensate me properly," Kitazawa said with a straight face, clearly hinting.
"We'll talk about it later," Tsunade refused to bite, then shifted topics. "But in the future, you need to keep an eye on the Hyūga and the Uchiha."
What the New Konoha Three Sannin represented was obvious.
The Hyūga and Uchiha would definitely try to pave the road for Hinata and Sasuke—or compete for the Hokage seat.
"I know," Kitazawa said indifferently.
As long as he had absolute strength, no matter how much the Hyūga and Uchiha fought, they wouldn't dare disobey him.
"When do you want to become Hokage?" Tsunade nodded, then asked again.
"Anytime is fine," Kitazawa said after a brief thought.
At this point, being a few days early or late didn't matter.
"Good. Next week, then," Tsunade decided immediately. "After today's graduation exam, I'll send someone to invite the Fire Daimyō."
"You really can't wait," Kitazawa chuckled.
The fifteen-minute break ended quickly.
Everyone had recovered from the shock of the World-Ending Arrow and turned their attention back to the arena.
After all, Hinata vs. Yakumo wasn't the final match.
The fights ahead might show even more surprising techniques than the World-Ending Arrow.
Kitazawa reached into the lottery box and drew two slips.
After a glance, he nodded slightly.
In a way, this result was the best possible pairing for the graduation exam.
"Fourth round, first match: Naruto Uzumaki vs. Neji Hyuga!"
Kitazawa announced.
With only four students left, deciding the first match also decided the second.
The two winners would advance to the fifth round for the final battle.
Sasuke instinctively clenched his fist.
As long as he beat Hinata, he could fight Naruto for first place.
Even though he'd lost many times before, if he won this time, all those past failures would be wiped away.
Naruto didn't think too much—he just wanted to fight.
Neji's thinking was similar to Sasuke's.
He wanted to win and go all the way to the end.
Even if it would be difficult.
Hinata, meanwhile, wasn't very hopeful anymore.
In the last fight, she had used the World-Ending Arrow, leaving Satori's chakra at only one-third.
But even if Satori's chakra were still at 100%, it would still be hard for her to defeat Sasuke Uchiha.
~~~
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